Kiss Me Kate embellishes the story of the Taming of the Shrew with musical dance numbers and tension between characters that would be entirely lost in any normal production. Though much of the tension – namely Lilli and Fred's, who play Kate and Petruchio – is entirely the product of artistic license, the actors serve as foils to their characters. Lilli's justified anger at being misguided and perhaps even betrayed validates her character's anger at men in general, reminding audiences that there are plenty of experiences that could have led to Kate's hatred of the opposite sex. Similarly, Lois Lane's inexperience and naivety coupled with her extreme capacity for loving, as pointed out by her relationship with Bill Calhoun, parallels her character, Bianca. Lois naively contemplates her boyfriend's gambling problem assuming there will be resolution simply because of their love. Lois, like Bianca, has the most obvious, unchallenging …show more content…
The women are thrilling challenges with the ultimate goal being bridling and, of course, taming them. What is more apparent in Kiss Me Kate than in most versions of the play is that Kate's lust for excitement and desire to be valued are also definite players in the story. This is confirmed in the original play by her eventual willingness to cooperate and reverence for her husband who is more willing to “play the game” than most men. These specific aspects, however, are most obvious in Kiss Me Kate when Harrison Howell, Lilli's fiance, comes to her rescue and Fred uses the event to taunt Lilli and remind her that she is opting for a like far too boring for her taste. Of course, he really is reminding her that she has better, more exciting options that she may crave because she is drawn to the fight, as is